Shoe form



I June 7, 1932. K W. J, DE W|TT 1,861,657

SHOE FORM l Filed July 7, 1951 Y F position Patented June 7, 1932 BSS WILLIAM J. DE WITT, OF ABURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SHOE FORM CO., INC., OF

AUBURN, NEV YORK, A CORPORATION lOF NEVI YORK SHOE FORM Application led July 7, 1931.

This invention relates to an improvement in shoe forms and more particularly in slice forms of the type which comprise an expansible toe form having a movable cross brace connecting ball flanges thereof, which brace in oneV position expands and in another position contracts the toe form whereby the form may be contracted until inserted in the toe of a shoe and then expanded to plump or lill out such toe.

A form of this type constitutes the subject matter of my Patent No. 1,733,949, dated OC- tober 29, 1929, and the present invention resides in the further development thereof with particular relation to toe forms having a cross brace of Celluloid or similar material to which may be secured a retractor bar for shifting the cross brace. into the form contracting position.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of yieldable means to hold the cross brace normally in the form expanding position, such means being carried by thercross brace in Contact with the toe form.

Various embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe form which may include any-of the various em- 53 bodiments of the invention;

Fig'. 2 is a bottom plan view of a shoe form embodying one form of this invention illustrating the relation of the parts in abnormal Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 in its normal position;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary bottom plan views illustrating other embodiments of this invention, the form in each instance being in its normal position.

F The shoe form of each of the various emi bodiments appears in side elevation as in Fig. 1 and comprises a hollow toe form 10 preferablyof celluloidor similar resilient sheet material having a coned body portion .Y 11. the side walls 12 and 13 of which terminate nin ball flanges 14 and 15 integrally connected Serial No. 549,185.

through a toe flange 16. A cross brace 17 connects the ball flanges being secured at one end to the flange 14 by a rivet or other type of pivot pin 18 and at the other end to the flange 15 by a similar rivet or pin 19 which passes through an arcuate slot 20 formed in the fiange. A retractor 21 including a wire rod 22 covered by a tube 23, usually of Celluloid, is pivotally secured at its forward end to the cross brace 17 by a rivet or pin 24 located "i' substantially intermediate the-length of the brace. The cross brace 17 here shown is laminated having upper and lower layers 25 and 26, and an intermediate layer 27. The ends of the layers 25 and 26 extend above and below the flanges 14 and 15`while ythe intermediate layer 27 terminates short of the ianges (see Fig. 4). The various elements thus described are common to the various; v embodiments and since they are old and well i known and form no part of thel presentinventiom'they will be designated upon the various figuresfby the same reference characters.

In the embodimentshown in Figs. 23 and ffl-l 4 the cross brace is held in the form expanding position by the extension of the wire rod 22 of the retractor 21 after it isfcoiled around the shank of the pin 24. The end of the extension 30 enters a notch 31 formed in f1 the edge of the flange 15. A The intermediate layer 27 is cut away to providea recess 32 which receives the extension 30V and permits its lateral movement between the layers 25 and 26. The cross brace 17 normally as-`lr`l v sumes the position shown in being held therein by the extension 30. When however a pull is exerted upon the retractor 21 the cross brace is swung on its pivot pin l, 4 18 and the travel of the pin 19 in the slot 20 shown in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5. In that embodiment the notch 31 receives one end of a spring wire 35 coiled around the pin 24 in the recess 32 in the intermediate layer 27, the other end of the wire being oilset at 36 to enter a pocket 87 in the wall of the recess. The wire rod 22 is here shown resting upon the upper layer 25 of the cross brace and looped around the shan-k of the pin 24. The exerciseV of a pull upon the retractor21 will. obviously cause the cross brace 17 to swing on its pivot pin 19, thereby contracting the form, and obviously when the retractor is released the spring wire will tend to return the cross brace to the normal position shown in Fig. 5. Other means for yieldably holding the cross brace normally in the form expanding position are illustrated in Figs. 6y and 7. Such means diiler from the means disclosed inthe embodiments previously described in that they coact Vwith the flange 14 to which the crossl brace is pivotall'y secu-red rather than with the'flange. 1,5 over which the end of. the cross brace is reciprocated. In Fig. 6 a. spring strip or wire 40 carriedvv by a slot in the intermediate layer 27 of the cross brace enters a pocket 41 in the edge ofv the flange 14r In, Fig. 7 a spring 45 supported intermediate. its ends upon a pin 46 carried by the layers 25 and 26 lies in a recess 47 formed by cutting away a portion of the layer 27. One end 48 rests against a wall of the recess while th-e other end 49 rests against the edge ofthe llange 14. The retractor 21 is shown connected to the cross brace 17 in the same manner as that set fort-h above in the description of Fig. 5. When the cross brace is swung on its pivot 19 by a pull exerted on the retractor 21, the springY 40 or 45 is obviously placed under tension and as soon as the cross` brace is released it will be restored by the spring to the normal position.

While certain embodiments have been shown andrdescribed it will be understood that I am not limited thereto since other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim 1. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion,- the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other end isV movable relative to the other flange to expand or contract the body portion, and spring means carried by the cross brace land engaging the edge of a ball flange to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

2. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow bodyportion, the side walls of which terminate inball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative to the other flange to expand or contract the body portion, said cross brace being laminated, and spring means carried by one layer of the cross brace and engaging the edge of a ball flange to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

8. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative to the other flange to expand or contract the body portion, said cross brace being laminated, the edge of one ball flange having a. pocket therein, and a spring carried by one layer of the cross brace, one end of which spring enters the pocket to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

4. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one. end of which is pivotall'y secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative to the other ilange to expand or contract the body portion, said cross, brace being laminated, and a portion of' one layer of t-he cross brace being removed to provide a recess, and spring means in said recess which engage the edge of a ball flange to holdv the cross brace normally in a predetermined position. v

5. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls, of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which. is pivotally-secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative to the other flange to expand or contract the body portion, said cross brace being laminated and a portion of one layer of thel cross bracebeing removed to provide a recess, the edge of one flange having a pocket therein and a spring in said recess, one end of whichv spring enters the pocket to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

6. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion,y the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a crosszbrace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative tothe other flange to expand or contract the body portion, a retractor including a wire rod secured adjacent one end to said cross brace, an extension of said rod engaging the edge of a ball flange to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position. y

7. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other. end is movable relativ-e to the other flange to expand or contract the body portion, a retractor including a wire rod secured adjacent one end to said cross brace, the edge of one flange having a pocket therein, and an extension of said rod which enters the pocket to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

8. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative to the oth-er flange to expand or contract the body portion, said cross brace being laminated, a portion of one layer being removed to provide a recess, a retractor incuding a wire rod secured adjacent one end to said cross brace in the recess and having an extension in the recess which engages the edge of a ball flange to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

9. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative to the oth-er flange to expand or contract the body portion, said cross brace being laminated, a portion of one layer being removed to provide arecess, a retractor including a wire rod, secured adjacent one end to said cross brace in the recess, the edge of one ball flange having a pocket ther-ein, and said wire rod having an extension which enters the pocket to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

10. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges, while the other end is movable relative to the other side to expand or contract the body portion, the edge of the flange to which the cross brace is pivotally secured having a pocket therein, and spring means carried by the cross brace and engaging the pocket to hold the cross brac-e normally in a predetermined position.

11. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges, while the other end is movable relative to the other side to expand or contract the body portion, and spring means carried by the cross brace and engaging the -edge of the flange to which the cross brace is pivotally secured to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

12. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative to the other flange to expand or contract the body portion, said cross brace being laminated, a portion of one layer being removed to provide a recess, the edge of the flange to which the cross brace is pivotally secured having a pocket therein, and spring means carried by the recess in the cross brace and engaging the pocket to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position.

13. A shoe form comprising a toe form having a hollow body portion, the side walls of which terminate in ball flanges, a cross brace, one end of which is pivotally secured to one of said flanges while the other end is movable relative to the other flange to expand or contract the body portion, said cross brace being laminated, a portion of one layer being removed to provide a recess, and spring means carried by the recess in the cross brace, and engaging the edgeA of the flange to which the cross brace is pivotally secured to hold the cross brace normally in a predetermined position. f

Signed by me at Auburn, New York, this 2nd day of J u1 1931.

ILLIAM J. DE WITT'. 

